CollegesColumbia University hired Brent Walker as associate athletic director for championship performance. Walker was an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and sports studies at Eastern Illinois University.

The University of Maryland hired Matt Taylor as assistant director of media relations.

Football
The Patriot League promoted Richard Wanninger to senior associate executive director for external relations, Matt Dougherty to assistant executive director for communications, Quinton Smith to associate director for compliance and sport management, James Greene to associate director for communications and Jimmy Johnson to associate director for communications/multimedia.

Hockey
The Winnipeg Jets named Larry Simmons assistant general manager.

The St. Louis Blues promoted Al MacInnis to senior adviser to general manager Doug Armstrong, Dave Taylor to vice president of hockey operations and Rob DiMaio to director of pro scouting.

NBC named Jeff Bader president of program planning, strategy and research for NBC Entertainment, where he will work with NBC News and NBC Sports. Bader was executive vice president of planning, scheduling and distribution for ABC Entertainment Group.

Daily Racing Form hired Phil O’Hara as executive director of racetrack development and named Lou Monaco programming manager of Sports Information Group/Daily Racing Form. O’Hara was a principal in Meyocks and O’Hara Racing Enterprises.

The NFL Media Group named Alex Riethmiller vice president of communications. Riethmiller was vice president of communications and media relations at CBS Interactive.

Schneider Publishing Co. hired Karen Williams as director of industry relations. Williams was executive vice president of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Motorsports

Jannetta

Roush Fenway Racing hired Pete Thuresson as senior vice president of sales and business development. He was head of national partnerships for Fox Sports in Chicago.

SoccerFC Dallas named Melissa Jannetta and Earle Fisher directors of business development.

People news
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The Deutsche Bank Championship held its media day July 30 at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. The tournament, part of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs, is to be played Aug. 31-Sept. 3. From left: Greg McLaughlin, Tiger Woods Foundation president and CEO; Seth Waugh, Deutsche Bank Americas CEO; Bill Scannell, president of global sales and customer operations for local presenting partner EMC Corp.; and Eric Baldwin, Deutsche Bank Championship tournament director.Photo: COURTESY OF ELEVATE COMMUNICATIONS

Man U at NYSE

Manchester United jerseys greeted team co-chairmen Joel Glazer (right) and Avram Glazer (center) as they arrived at the New York Stock Exchange on Aug. 10, the day that shares of the club went public.Photos by: DARIO CANTATORE / GETTY IMAGES VIA NYSE EURONEXT

The Glazers prepare to ring the opening bell at the NYSE.

Global talk in London

NBA Commissioner David Stern (left) and English Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore met up at NBA House in London on Aug. 9 to share insights on the global popularity of their respective leagues and exchange ideas during a panel discussion titled “From Local to Global: The Challenges of Success.” Also attending were Jerry Colangelo, chairman of USA Basketball; Stan Kroenke, Denver Nuggets owner and Arsenal FC majority shareholder; and Ian Ritchie, CEO of the Rugby Football Union.Photo by: NBAE / GETTY IMAGES

Nationwide pro-am

At the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational Celebrity Pro-Am on July 23 at Muirfield Village Golf Club (from left): Clark Kellogg, Indiana Pacers VP of player relations and CBS Sports college basketball analyst.; Ricky Stenhouse Jr., NASCAR Nationwide Series driver; Matt Jauchius, EVP and CMO for Nationwide Insurance; Brian Scott, Nationwide Series driver; and Archie Griffin, Heisman Trophy winner and president and CEO of the Ohio State University Alumni Association. Photo by: MATT ROTHLISBERGER

Chris Curtis

President, GoVision

ALL PHOTOS BY ANNEMARIE GUILLORY / GOVISION

The view GoVision President Chris Curtis cares about is inside company headquarters, just north of Dallas-Fort Worth: His office is near the warehouse holding LED displays that GoVision sends to 400 events a year around the country. (The view outside? “Cows,” says Curtis.)

Curtis’ workspace reflects the many events he’s attended, including those such as the Ryder Cup and U.S. Open tennis, where GoVision puts up its big video boards. There’s also a purple hue owing to his alma mater, Texas Christian University, where he has been president of both the TCU Frog Club and the school’s national alumni association.

Curtis’ travels guarantee more mementos will make their way into his office. But what will they replace? “I don’t move stuff out,” he says with a laugh.

The former Gatorade, PepsiCo and Gannett executive is now co-founder of youth sports content startup The Whistle, which is scheduled for a late-September launch. He talks about making the transition from the established world of corporate sports marketing to an unproven new venture focused on today’s kids.

Photo by: DOUGLAS GORENSTEIN

“This idea is so big and with so much opportunity. Our biggest challenge is making sure we come out with the right voice and a fresh perspective for kids. It’s all about putting kids in control of their sports media.”

On the value proposition of the The Whistle: We offer kids an entertaining and authentic sports media experience, and the ability to personalize their experience and share it with their friends. … We offer parents a media experience for their kids that provides engaging sports media content, and a positive focus on sports without scandals or inappropriate adult advertising. … We offer our league, nonprofit and sponsor partners access to kids and parents in a positive, entertaining and values-driven way.

On working with properties such as the NFL and USOC, and earning their trust: It’s about the idea and our mission. Who doesn’t want to do right by kids and deliver them a great sports experience? The pillars of what sports can deliver to kids are so clear: good sportsmanship, critical thinking, a solid foundation of fitness and nutrition. Those ideals resonate across properties, and our mission is to deliver them where kids spend almost a third of each day: on screens.

On developing a startup brand versus a mature entity such as Gatorade: So different, but certainly leaning on many of the marketing tenets from that great brand. Know the customer. Be laser-focused on delivering them what they want. Learn and iterate quickly.

On defining success for The Whistle: We build a brand and experience where kids want to come, engage, personalize and share their sports experiences across a wide variety of sports when and where they want it.